The Bigger picture for movie star Paul Brannigan

Paul helps youngsters in Wishaw a find path in life through film

Paul Brannigan and Eastenders script writer Gabe and local kids in the acting project at Gowkthrapple Community Hub (Photo: Wishaw Press)

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The star of one of Scotland’s most successful films of recent times is helping to transform the lives of youngsters from across Wishaw.

Scottish Bafta Award winner Paul Brannigan — who starred in 2012 comedy-drama The Angels’ Share — has thrown his talent behind the NHS-funded Progrez project, a new charity formed to help young people in Wishaw who may become disengaged from society learn the values of citizenship and consideration for others.

Working with a group of six Wishaw teens, the team are in the process of filming their own short drama, based on the life experiences of each of the youngsters.

Paul, 27, who endured a tough upbringing involving drugs and violence in Glasgow’s East End, explained: “I work for the charity Progrez alongside Paul Kelly and have been working with this group of young people to try to motivate them to change and help encourage them to make better decisions with their lives — whether that be with drink, drugs or any other risk taking behaviour.

“We’ve been together since October and during that time the group came up with the idea of doing something creative, so we decided to develop our own film based on experiences these teenagers may well have had.”

The group are spending this week filming in and around Wishaw, working out of Gowkthrapple’s Centrepoint facility and getting pointers along the way from both Paul and EastEnders scriptwriter Gabe Robertson.

And next week will see the editing process take place, before what promises to be a glitzy April premiere in Motherwell.

Brannigan — who has also starred in River City and the recent big-screen smash, Sunshine on Leith — continued: “We put a skeleton script together based on what they told us, and now we have this great story about young people realising the value of friendship and family.

“Each of the kids have thrown themselves into it. That in turn has really shown us big changes in them since we first met four months ago. They are motivated not just to come here, but to work, which is amazing for these young people.”

Paul Kelly, from Progrez, said: “We’re an NHS-funded group who work with disengaged young people in the Wishaw area. Paul works closely with us.

“It would be very easy to do a dark, 10-minute story about something bad. But Paul challenged them to do something that demonstrates aspects of their lives which they are good at and the story idea they came up with is great.

“What some of these young people are experiencing here is a complete flip in their perceptions both within the community and of the community, to something far more positive than what they have been used to in the past. That is truly fantastic to see.”

Azzy McKenzie and Cammy McDougall are two of the teenagers involved in the film.

Wishaw boy Azzy, 15, explained: “Being here is so much better than just sitting about at home or being out on the street.

“Basically I would just stay in every day passing the time doing nothing worthwhile. Since I’ve started this, my life has changed for the better.”

Fifteen year-old Cammy added: “It’s brilliant. If anyone gets the same chance as we’ve been given, then all I’d say is take it.

“We come here instead of sitting around in the house bored not doing anything.

“When we first started this group, we all knew each other but we weren’t even nearly as close as we now are.

“It’s brought us all real confidence and made us think about the consequences of any actions we take.”